Friday, September 13, 2013

As I write this, four giant zucchini are mocking me from my refrigerator. It is imperative that something be done about them so that I can clear the way for the apple and pumpkin season. As I am not one to waste food, it is time to get creative.

A simple search for zucchini on Pinterest brings up hundreds of interesting ideas. Stuffed, fried, baked, sweet, savory and just plain weird...you can find it all. One idea that caught my eye was for a zucchini pizza casserole that used a combination of zucchini and cheese for the crust. Baked cheese? This had possibilities.

Of course I had to come up with something a little different and, since the hubby was in the mood for Mexican food, I decided to transform the idea into...wait for it....as if you couldn't guess from the picture....Tostadas!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a large baking sheet
with parchment paper.

Place the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with ½
teaspoon salt. Let the zucchini stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze as much liquid
from the zucchini as possible and place in a large bowl. Add the eggs, cheeses, and Mexican seasoning.
Stir together until well-blended.

Make sure to squeeze out all of the excess moisture...there's a lot of water in there!

Divide the zucchini mixture into 6 portions onto the
parchment paper (a scant ½ cup each). Use a spatula to spread each portion into
a 5-inch circle. Bake the zucchini for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and
gently turn each portion over. Continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or
until firm and golden

.

While the zucchini is baking, break the sausage up into a
large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through,
about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To assemble, place the zucchini tostadas on individual serving
plates. Layer each tostada with an equal portion of lettuce, sausage, avocado,
diced tomato, sour cream, olives, and cheese. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Aren't these fun? Of course, you can add or subtract any toppings you want...my daughter had the tostada with just salsa.

The "tostadas" were not crisp, but they weren't rubbery either. I was surprised at how good they tasted...must be all of the cheese. My husband and my daughter both gobbled them up and put in a request for more, so I guess this recipe is a keeper!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

It's been so hot and humid in Minnesota the last few days that it is hard to imagine that Autumn is nearly upon us. One telling sign, though, is the sound of acorns falling on the roof. It is literally raining acorns in our yard. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen so many acorns. What's up with that? It must have to do with the strange weather pattern this Summer....hot, cool, hot, cool...sheesh.

Amazingly, as soon as I wrote "hot and humid", it cooled down to 60 degrees. I will welcome pumpkin season, but not just yet. Shoot...there are still some good peaches to be had! I found a couple in the fridge that had to be dealt with and came up with this very quick and easy galette.

Ok..I'll admit that this is the same formula as my Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe...fruit, jam, pie crust..so easy!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll the pie crust on the pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the jam, flour, and cinnamon. Carefully, fold in the peaches and the blueberries. Spoon mixture onto the crust within 2 inches from the edge. Fold edge of crust over filling, pleating as necessary. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with two teaspoons of water. Lightly brush crust edge with the egg mixture; sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 17 to 23 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

It's hard to beat a Pillsbury pie crust when you need something quick...I keep them in the fridge for that very reason. Go ahead and try some different fruits and jam...the combinations are endless. Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries....they are all good!

The Original Dutch Baker

My Heritage

On September 17, 1944, my father, Joost Stapelbroek, was delivering bread by bicycle in the Dutch countryside. He looked up in the sky and to his amazement, he saw the 101st Aireborne Division descending into his Nazi-occupied country to begin Operation Market-Garden and to begin the liberation of Holland. His admiration of those wonderful Screaming Eagles led to his love of all things American and ultimately to his decision to relocate his family to this fabulous country.